Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis will hold a meeting at noon Monday
with the Governor of the Bank of Greece George Provopoulos in the
presence of Economy and Finance Minister George Alogoskoufis.

On Friday, the premier praised the International Maritime Organization
(IMO) for its contribution to reducing maritime accidents as well as
for its sensitivity on matters of environmental protection, during an
event in Athens marking the IMO's 60th anniversary and the annual World
Maritime Day, which is observed this year on September 25.

Opening the event, which was organized by the Merchant Marine ministry
at the Evgenidio Foundation, Karamanlis described the IMO as "an
example of multi-sided and institutional cooperation".

Karamanlis pledged that Greece would assist IMO in every way towards
attracting young people to the maritime sector, and suuport efforts for
speedy introduction of new technologies.

Stressing that it was an honor for Greece to be hosting the events
celebrating World Maritime Day, the prime minister reiterated that
Greece would back IMO's efforts in very way.

Greetings were also addressed by merchant marine minister Anastasis
Papaligouras, who stressed that IMO was successfully meeting the
demands of the times.

The official international celebration of World Maritime Day is the
traditional diplomatic reception held annually at IMO's headquarters in
London, with national events taking place in many countries throughout
the world, but since 2005 an official parallel celebration is hosted in
a different IMO member country each year, with Greece the host of the
official parallel events of the 2008 celebration.

Main opposition Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK) leader George
Papandreou addessed a rally of supporters in Halkida, Evia, on Sunday,
criticising the results of the New Democracy (ND) government's budgets
and noting that for his party "the battle of the budget is the battle
for defending the families' income, the social state and the country's
growth prospects."

Calling on the government "not to decrease funds for health, welfare,
education and public investments in the new budget," Papandreou said
his party would wage its own battle for the budget "at the same time
highlighting its own proposals-solutions."

"We are here to declare simply and clearly: The bill of their
(government's) failure cannot arrive everyday in front of our doors
while some others are stealing the wealth of the country," the main
opposition leader charged.

Referring to recent opinion poll results showing his party in advance
of the ruling ND, Papandreou said "we have all seen the first messages
of confidence to our consistency, our will and our committments. But we
have not come to Halkida as commentators of today's opinion polls. We
are all here as guarantors of a different course."

Referring to ongoing press speculations regarding a possible cabinet
reshuffle, Papandreou said that "cabinets are easily being reshuffled
but the mentalities of a government remain the same, while the citizen
is asking today for a change of policies and not of ministers."

Outlining PASOK's plan, he said it had four immediate priorities:
supporting the families' income, restoring the social state, "green
development" and a fair and effective public administration. He pledged
for a decrease of taxation regarding low and middle incomes and
supporting weaker social groups through subsidies and fighting against
price hikes.

On the question of financing his party's programme, Papandreou said
that "in politics options always exist." Accusing the ND government of
"granting billions of euros to the rich", the PASOK leader said his
party would "tax effectively wealth where it exists even if we
displease some people."

He also pledged economising on military expenditures, rationalising
public expenditure and "restoring the effectiveness of mechanisms
against tax evasion."

One of PASOK's "basic priorities" was a fair and effective state,
Papandreou also said. "This is our vision...Nothing is easy, but
nothing is fatal," he concluded.

Communist Party of Greece (KKE) Secretary General Aleka Papariga on
Sunday evening gave a speech to the party‚s youth organization KNE in
Athens expounding on the reasons why her refuses to cooperate with
other political parties.

She launched a stinging attack against the ruling New Democracy (ND)
party and the main opposition Panhellenic Socialist Movement as well as
against the Radical Left Coalition (SYRIZA), the proposals of which she
described as ?a life jacket with a hole in it.?

Papariga made an extensive historic review on the course and action of
the party which this year marks the 90th anniversary of its foundation.
She underlined that the KKE ?never compromised despite the great
difficulties it faced during its 90 year-long course.?

She claimed that the ?country‚s capitalist class is making efforts to
bring back the derby of bipartisanship or a period of coalition
governments of centre-right and centre-left forces.? Papariga added
that that in this effort, the KKE answers ?do not stop, weaken the
capitalist parties, do not look for differences.?

Papariga was particularly harsh against the two major political parties
and SYRIZA. Particularly, the KKE Secretary General said that ?the
capitalist class and the parties which serve it, the ND and PASOK,
utilized and are utilizing in a scandalous manner, the European Union
(EU) support frameworks and programs, and the experience of the
European neo-liberals and social-democratic parties, lavishly handing
out money, taken from the sweat of the peoples to strengthen and
broaden the labor aristocracy. They provocatively offer graft
generously.?